ANS 3102 DAIRY PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
Instructors
Dr Denis Mpairwe (PhD)
Dr Justine Nambi-Kasozi (PhD)
Course Type:
CORE (B.Sc. Agric. III, B.Sc. FST III)
1. COURSE DESCRIPTION
Course Credits (CU):
3 CU i.e. 45 Contact Hours per semester
Course Duration: 15 weeks with 30 LH (= 30 contact hours) + 30 PH (= 15 contact hours)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Introduction: importance, trends and prospects, limitations and production systems; Establishing a dairy herd;
Routine management practices; Management of young and replacement stock; Reproductive management in a dairy
herd; Feeding the dairy herd; Milk secretion, milking and milk quality; Dairy cattle health management; Orientation to
and practical hands-on of body condition scoring, judging cattle for dairy form, drawing a breeding chart using a
universal calendar; making feed budgets for a dairy herd
2. COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course builds on and transforms the scientific knowledge that is previously gained from the basic courses in
animal management, nutrition, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, economics and animal health into practical skills
required for the management milk production and handling. It is intended for students to:
i.
gain a better understanding of the Uganda’s and the global dairy industry while appreciating the importance
of producing high dairy product and by-products.
ii.
gain technical knowledge and production skills of sustainable and contemporary dairy farming by
developing competencies concerning the establishing, selection and evaluating, breeding, nutrition, health,
housing, feeding of dairy animals, and marketing, all of which are reinforced with real-life applications
through practical hands-on, pictorials and audio-video presentations.
iii. have the opportunity to engage in active and critical dialog, and discussion while working in teams to
develop problem-solving skills in applying scientific and technological knowledge that may contribute to the
sustainable production within the scope of food, business entrepreneurship and natural resource
management.
3. RECOMMENDED REFERENCES FOR READING
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
MILK PRODUCTION IN THE TROPICS – A. Chamberlain
DAIRYING: The tropical agriculturalist – R.W. Matthewman
MILK PRODUCTION: Science & practice – J.D. Leaver
UNDERSTANDING THE DAIRY COW: John Webster
LECTURE NOTES IN DAIRY PRODUCTION: C.D. Waiswa
DAIRY CATTLE JUDGING TECHNIQUES – G.W. Trimberger, W.M. Etgen, and D.M. Galton
A GUIDE TO CONDITION SCORING OF ZEBU CATTLE - M.J. Nicholson and M. H. Butterworth, ILCA
(www.fao.org/Wairdocs/ILRI/x5496E/x5496e03.htm)
TROPICAL DAIRY FARMING : Feeding Management for Small Holder Dairy Farmers in the Humid TropicsJ. Moran
i.
j.
MILKING AND MILK PRODUCTION OF DAIRY SHEEP AND GOATS – F. Barillet
BUFFALO MILK PRODUCTION - Mikaela Ståhl Högberg and Ole Lind (http://www.milkproduction.com)
4. COURSE CONTENT, METHODS OF INSTRUCTION, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
MODULE
CONTENT
1:INTRODUCTION
•
•
•
•
•
2: ESTABLISHMENT
OF A DAIRY
HERD
3: ROUTINE
MANAGEMENT
(Recap of ANS 2201
with emphasis to
dairy production)
4: YOUNG STOCK
MANAGEMENT
5: REPRODUCTIVE
MANAGEMENT
IN A DAIRY
HERD
6: FEEDING THE
DAIRY HERD
Importance of dairy production
Status of the dairy industry in Uganda
Limitations to dairy production
Dairy production systems
Marketing of dairy products
• Planning phase (feasibility/SWOT analysis, site
selection)
• Selection of foundation stock (criteria for selection
of breed and individual animals within the breed(s)
• Operationalisation of a dairy establishment
• Hygiene, animal care & handling
• Record keeping
• Parasite control
• Reading assignment & group presentations
 Goals of young stock management & important
considerations in care of calves
 Preparation for and management at calving
 Housing and feeding dairy calves
 Management of weaners to first breeding
 Methods of breeding
 Breeding efficiency (performance indices,
influencing factors)
• Breeding records and use of the universal
calendar
• Practical breeding tips
• Available feedstuffs for dairy cows
• Phase feeding of dairy cows
• Feeding techniques for top cows
• Use of concentrates for the milking herd
METHOD OF
INSTRUCTION /
Time allocated
• Interactive
lectures (4 hr),
• Practical session
& participatory
discussions (3hr)
(Pictorial session
showing different
production
systems with
associated
infrastructure,
exotic and
indigenous breeds
used for milk
production)
• Interactive
lectures (4hr)
• Practical (3 hr)
TOOLS /
EQUIPMENT
NEEDED
• Chalk & board
• Interactive
lectures (2 hr)
• Practical (3 hr)
• Chalk & board
• Overhead projector/
transparencies
 Interactive
lectures (3 hrs)
• Chalk & board
• Overhead projector/
transparencies
• Interactive
lectures (4hrs)
• Practical (3 hr)
• Chalk & board
• Overhead projector/
transparencies
• Interactive lectures
(4½ hr)
• Chalk & board
• Overhead projector/
transparencies
• Overhead projector/
transparencies
• LCD projector/ CPU
• Chalk & board
• Overhead projector/
transparencies
• LCD projector/ CPU
7: MILKING & MILK
QUALITY
8: DAIRY CATTLE
HEALTH
MANAGEMENT
9: PRACTICAL
BASED MODULE
Spread over week 4 –
week 11 with 5
groups of  25
students each x 3 hr
•
•
•
•
Management of dry cows
The mammary gland growth & development
Milk letdown & milking practices
Pictorial/video session of milking and milking
facilities
• Factors affecting milk yield & composition
• General principles of disease prevention & control
measures in a dairy herd
• Outline of major dairy cattle health problems
(Details covered under ANS 2201 & ANS 3202)
 Body condition scoring
 Judging cattle for dairy form and linear descriptive
traits for conformation
• Maintaining breeding records using the universal
calendar
• Developing a simple dairy feeds budget
• Interactive lectures
(3½ hr)
• Pictorial/video &
participatory
discussions (3 hr)
• Chalk & board
• Overhead projector/
transparencies
• LCD projector/ CPU
• Audio/video facility
• Interactive lectures
(2 hr)
• Chalk & board
• Overhead projector/
transparencies
• Interactive lectures
(3 hr)
• Practical (15 hr)
• Chalk & board
• Overhead projector/
transparencies
• Dairy animals
• Metre rules
5. SUMMARY OF TIME NEEDED (total 45 contact hours)
Interactive lectures covering theory
On-farm practicals; classroom pictorials & videos; 1 field visit,
30 LH (30 contact hours)
30 PH (15 contact hours)
6. OVERALL COURSE EVALUATION
Continuous assessment & mid-semester examination
Practical reports, field trip report and take-home assignment
Final written examination
20%
20%
60%